Improving flexibility and mobility should be a significant priority for any golfer who wants to maximize their potential. In this article, I present the best stretching exercises for golf.
The stretches discussed in this article do not compose an entire stretching routine.
These are simply the best stretching exercises for golfers to improve overall mobility by targeting the most important joints involved in the golf swing… hips, spine and shoulders.
In no particular order, these are presented below.
Single Leg Hamstring Stretch
Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Pull the right foot in so that it touches the inside of the left knee. Point the toes of the left foot straight up to the ceiling. Reach down to the leg, starting at the knee, and move your body forward, pushing the chest toward the knee. Reach further down the leg as far down as you can go, and try to draw the chest as close to the knee as possible. Once you have hit your limit, feeling a good stretch, hold that position for 15 seconds. Then, try to reach further down the leg to the ankle or foot and move the chest even closer to the knee, and hold for another 15 seconds. Slowly rise up, and switch legs, repeating this sequence.
Single Leg Hamstring Stretch
Lying Down Back Stretch
Lay flat on your back, arms out to sides and palms down, with your knees bent and feet flat to the floor. Shift onto your left hip, keeping your back flat to the floor. Lower your knees to the left side, so that the left knee and thigh lay on the floor. Place your left hand on your right knee, and pull the right knee down to floor…at the same time your head should be turned to the right, facing your right hand. Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly switch positions to the other side and repeat.
Lying down back stretch
Upward Dog
Lay face down on the floor, hands palms down underneath your shoulders. Push your upper torso off the floor, and for an even better stretch, try to keep the knees off the floor as well. If you can’t just work toward that goal. Also, be sure to reach your forehead upward….don’t shrug your shoulders in this position. Hold this position for 30 seconds.
Upward Dog
Downward Dog
The downward dog is the opposite of the upward dog. Start out in a push up position, but with your hands a little wider than shoulder width apart. Push up and back with the hips and arms and try to touch your heels to the floor while keeping your legs and arms as straight as possible. This is a good stretch for the shoulders and calves.
Downward Dog
Seated Spine Stretch
From a seated position with the legs stretched in front of you, bend the left knee, and pull the left foot in toward your inner thigh, and then cross the right foot over the left leg and place the foot flat on the floor to the left of the left leg. Push your left knee forward a little bit. Try to sit up as straight as possible. Now, turn to the right, place the back of your left elbow on the outside of your right knee, and place your right hand on the floor behind you. Straighten up your posture and slowly turn to the right as far as possible, and hold for 15-30 seconds.
Seated spine stretch
Glute Stretch
From the same seated position as above, wrap your arms around the right knee, and keeping the back as straight as possible, pull the knee in toward your chest. You will feel this stretch in the right glute. Hold for 15-30 seconds.
Glute stretch
Hip Stretch A
Now, from the glute stretch position, pull the right foot back as far as it will go, and push down on the right knee with both hands as you try to push both knees together. This works to stretch the right hip.
Hip Stretch A
Hip Stretch B
Lay flat on your back, knees bent with feet flat on the floor. Pull the right foot up, and place the right side of the ankle onto the top of the left leg, just above the knee. Raise your shoulders and head off the floor and reach your right hand through the space between your legs and grab onto the left knee, and grab onto the left side of the knee with your left hand, and interlock the hands. Pull the knee in toward your chest, feeling the stretch in the right hip. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch to the other leg.
Hip Stretch B
Standing Side Stretch
From a standing position, reach over head with both arms, then grab the left wrist with your right hand and lean your body to the right, pulling out and up with the right hand. Lean as far to the right as possible without bending your knees and hold. Repeat on other side.
Standing Side Stretch
Triangle Pose
This is a classic Yoga pose. Start by standing with your feet together. Rotate on the heel of your right foot so that it points out to a 90 degree angle. Keeping your right foot planted, take a full step forward with the left foot. Set the foot down and keep the left heel in line with the right heel. Keeping the left leg straight, bend at the waist and reach forward with the left hand until you can reach no further without bending the left knee. Bend down until the left hand touches the floor inside your left ankle (place a yoga block there if needed, and touch the yoga block). Now, turn your chest to the right and reach overhead with the right hand, straight up over the right shoulder. Hold this for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat the process with the other leg.
Triangle Pose
Best Stretching Exercises For Golf
As I mentioned, these stretches do not comprise an entire stretching routine.
However, they hit all the major joints involved in the golf swing from at least a couple different angles.
Combined, these are the best stretching exercises for golf.
I recommend performing each of these at least twice each week.
Over time, you will gain more flexibility and mobility, and this will give you greater potential to improve the range of motion in your golf swing.
A bigger range of motion gives you greater potential to hit longer drives.
Now, get to work!
